Saturday, February 20, 2016

Abstinence

Although I am not an avid churchgoer, I, as a baptized Catholic, have taken to the practice of giving up things for Lent, which started early this year (February 10).  But what I gave up for Lent is not what I came to talk about today.
The political season has influenced me to give up several things that have come to annoy me.  I'm still mad at Ed Schultz for bashing Martin O'Malley on his podcast, and after a month, I still have no desire to resume listening to him.  I strayed, though, when it came to the Daily Kos.  After vowing never to read it again when one Kos article shamelessly interpreted O'Malley's plea to supporters in Iowa to stand together and "hold strong" during the caucuses (they didn't) as a coded message to support Bernie Sanders (they did), I not only stopped reading Kos pieces, I unsubscribed from its daily e-mails, but twice I went back to the Kos to read two O'Malley-related pieces there because I thought they were favorable to my candidate.  Neither one was.  I have since decided to "hold strong" and read nothing from the Daily Kos.  Even if my mother posts a link to a Kos article on her Facebook page. 
Do I think that Kos article saying that O'Malley was sending a message to Iowa supporters that it was okay to support Sanders instead was somewhat instrumental to O'Malley's subsequent loss and exit?  I think so, indeed.         
Oh yeah, remember when I said I said I was swearing off signing petitions?  I went on to have several relapses.  I found myself making exceptions not just for Care2 but for friends - and my mother - asking me to sign petitions to save an endangered species or Social Security or something like that.  I ended up making so many exceptions that the exceptions were becoming the rule again.  No more exceptions!  For the last time - petitions don't work!  What these organizations really want is a donation.  Besides, it's a good way for unscrupulous data miners to get your address and cell phone number.  That's why my mother doesn't sign petitions anymore.
But thanks to my friend Mimi for signing my MoveOn.org petition for high-speed passenger rail in America.  It now has a whopping eight signatures!      
Abstinence makes the heart grow less fond. :-p 

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